Candidate for District 9 County Council campaign website - www.tamaradavisbrown.org
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Update on Developments in District 9 - Reprinted with the permission of Tamara Davis Brown
Greetings South County (District 9) Neighbors,
The Greater Piscataway Alliance, Inc. has not met of late primarily because communities are actively participating in Planning Board hearings and judicial proceedings. Here are the latest updates:
The MNCPPC Planning Board
You may have heard that the Prince George's County Planning Board was down to 2 members (the Chair, Darryl Barnes, and long-time Commissioner Manuel Geraldo). As a result, they had to cancel Planning Board hearings and meetings due to a lack of quorum.
County Executive Braveboy nominated, Dr. Billy Okoye, a real estate broker, as a new Planning Board commissioner. He was sworn in on November 17, 2025 and participated in his first planning board meeting on November 20th so the Planning Board is back in action. I expect the County Executive to make two more appointments in the near future.
Hyde Landing (former airport across from Miller's Farm) PRE-APP-2025-0001
This project continues along the development process, which begin with rezoning the property in 2023 (a process that permits the most leverage for surrounding communities). During the re-zoning process, we were successful in precluding apartments and received concessions for road improvements along Piscataway and Steed Roads along with monetary contributions toward the intersection at Woodyard/Piscataway and Old Branch/Brandywine Road.
In September, the Planning Board approved subdividing 425 acres (Preliminary Plan of Subdivision "PPS" application) into 906 lots and 170 parcels that will permit 1288 units (townhomes and duplexes). This was the first PPS application for the project.
Next, the developer has filed its application for Detailed Site Plan ("DPS") Infrastructure, where we as existing communities also can chime in.
The developer has to demonstrate its plans for:
Rough grading of the land
Public roadways
Site utilities (water and sewer)
Stormwater management
Tree conservation
To learn more about the project, contact Matthew Tedesco, Esq. at 301-441-2420, mtedesco@mhlawyers.com.
The Grove at Hyde Landing (former Al Pacha property behind Hyde Field - ZMA-2024-004
The same developer that acquired the property for Hyde Field, NVR, Inc., has also acquired the property for Al Pacha and wants to re-zone from rural residential (one house per acre) to the new R-PD (rural planned development zone) same as Hyde Field. The proposal will yield 255 residential units (123 single family homes and 132 townhomes).
NVR, Inc. has not offered any new community benefits for this re-zoning project. It is simply piggy-backing on the concessions and proffers of its Hyde Field application. I think we need to ask for more.
Here's where we can do so. The zoning hearing before the Planning Board for this application ZMA-2024-004 has been rescheduled for Thursday, December 18 at 10:00 AM. To participate, you must register to speak (which is always virtual) or submit your written comments by Tuesday, December 16, 2025 at 12:00 noon. Please use this link to do so: Register to Speak. You must select application number ZMA-2024-004 to register or submit your comments.
Edelen (Piscataway Stables) ZMA-2025-004
The Edelen brothers are not interested using their farm for the Maryland Open Space program as we suggested. Neither are they interested in zoning the property by right as rural residential (one house per acre), but want to upzone and subdivide the lot size to achieve over 500 single family homes instead of just 250 homes.
Their desire requires a re-zoning application which has been filed. The application number is mentioned above. As I mentioned above, existing communities have more leverage to successfully oppose (or support) the upzoning. We know the rationale for opposition - lack of infrastructure. Some communities leaders have met with DRB and are trying to get more concessions.
The zoning application has been filed, but I don't recall whether the application has been "accepted for filing" by the planning staff. However, be on the lookout for the application to have a hearing before the Planning Board for this application ZMA-2025-004 for the same hearing date as The Grove at Hyde Landing on Thursday, December 18 at 10:00 AM. To participate, you must register to speak (which is always virtual) or submit your written comments by Tuesday, December 16, 2025 at 12:00 noon. Please use this link to do so: Register to Speak. You must select application number ZMA-2025-004 to register or submit your comments. Don't confuse the two; the difference is in the year.
Saddle Ridge- Floral Park/Accokeek Roads in Brandywine - PPS-4-24013
This project will have 530 single family homes and 253 townhomes. Unfortunately, because the County Council indefinitely eliminated the police response time requirements for new developments with CR-80-2025, the Planning Board approved the application for preliminary plan of subdivision despite opposition from residents of the Villages of Savannah and other Brandywine neighbors.
A Petition for Judicial Review has been filed by me and other Brandywine neighbors. The developer cross-filed a Petition for Judicial Review because they do not want to pay the public safety mitigation fee (a little over $1.6M). Oral arguments have been rescheduled for March 2026, but we must file a Memorandum of Law support our Petition next month, and we must defend against a Motion to Dismiss our case in February 2026.
Dobson Farm - McKendree Road in Brandywine down from Wawa
This case is literally in the same status as Saddle Ridge. Also, a townhouse subdivision, the same issues and arguments apply. The Petition for Judicial Review was filed by Kamita Gray and her community advocacy organization The Brandywine/TB Southern Region Neighborhood Coalition. Because the issues are the same, Dobson Farm and Saddle Ridge may be consolidated.
Signature Club East Apartments - Signature Club - Manokeek
This was a great win for Accokeek community!! The contract purchaser of the property, WP East Acquisitions, LLC (the wholly-owned subsidiary to a nationwide apartment builder), terminated its contract with the landowner. That entity is no longer a co-applicant with the landowner to redevelop the land for apartments!
While the national apartment chain is no longer a co-applicant in the case, leaving the landowner alone to pursue its applications for approval of the Conceptual Site Plan and Tree Conservation Plan, the landowner is still represented by zoning counsel also and is pursuing the applications. They simply no longer have a buyer and the development rights are probably up for sale again. The landowner most likely wants to see these applications through so they can sell the land at an even higher price, having secured all necessary planning approvals.
The Accokeek neighbors have filed a Petition for Judicial Review as well. They also have a petition for Accokeek residents to unite and legal defense fund. Please sign the petition Keep Accokeek Green. Donate to the legal defense fund here: Accokeek Legal Defense Fund. For more information, email keep.accokeek.green@gmail.com.
Bailey's Lot 10 Apartments & Retail - The Preserves - Accokeek - CDP -9306-06
Remember that 140-unit apartment complex with retail that was proposed for Bailey's Lot 10 (less than 2 acres of land) at the Preserve at Piscataway?
Well, the HOA liaisons, that includes yours truly, met with the development team and we're now down 29 units and 5 retail and commercial units. We are still working with the development team to convert those units to condominiums and have asked for more amenities. I ran into the developer's liaison, Mr. Eddie Pounds, this week and he mentioned that will be getting back to us very soon with updates. Stay tuned!
I am so thrilled to see our collective communities unite to fight for our quality of life.
Simmons Acres - 88 Single Family Homes on 83.88 acres - Accokeek -PRE-APP 2025-003
The Pre-Application Neighborhood Meeting for this project was held last month and several neighbors from Simmons Acres were there to express their views, particularly as it relates to ingress and egress onto traffic of MD 210.
I have not seen that the application has been filed, but please contact the developer's attorney, Tom Haller, Esq. at 301-306-0033 thaller@gibbshaller.com to learn more.
Flagship Project Overlay Zone - CB-92-2025
This week, I and several community members testified against the bill (CB-92-2025) introduced by the District 6 Councilwoman Blegay and Council Chair Burroughs. The bill would create a new zoning designation Flagship Project Overlay Zone("FPO") to help streamline (re)development projects for large tracts of land like Six Flags, Rosecroft Raceway, Landover Mall, Northwest Stadium and Chalk Point Power Plant.
While I am all for streamlining regulations to attract more commercial development, I do not want our voices omitted from the conversation, which is exactly what CB-92 proposed to do. More importantly, the bill strips the Adequate Public Facilities requirements for any development in this proposed zone. So whatever is developed, the developer would NOT have to contribute to our infrastructure (roads improvement and financial contributions to our public safety agencies and schools).
The Council declined to vote on the bill as it was premature because it had not had a joint public hearing with the Planning Board on the actual companion zoning bill that places specific requirements for enactment. So the bill is dead for now as the Council is out of session until January 2026. However, I expect the joint public hearing to be a top priority in 2026 so stay vigilant.
To see the "Thank You" video from Greater Capital Heights Improvement Corporation, click here: FPO is Dead!
Did You Know?
Did you know that about 70% of what the County Council does is sit as District Council on zoning and land use matters or hear bills on zoning and land use (like CB-92-2025) as the County Council?
Who's qualified to hold this position? And we wonder why our roads are congested; schools are in need of replacement; police and fire/EMS response times are slow; and development seems misplaced.
If you would like to learn more or see a development sign along side your roadway and want an update on the project, please email me using this link: tamara@tamaradavisbrown.org.
Stay informed and engaged! Please share with your neighbors.
"The heaviest penalty for deciding not to engage in politics is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself." Plato
Yours in Service,
Tamara Davis Brown
Click here to listen to the latest episodes of: All Politics is Local Podcast
To learn more about my District 9 candidacy, visit: www.tamaradavisbrown.org
